The NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) used tear gas to dismantle barricades in Northern Kosovo on Friday, amid protests by over 500 Serbs. Dozens of Serb protesters and eight KFOR troops have reportedly needed medical attention. On Thursday, German and Austrian NATO troops, equipped with anti-riot gear, called on Serbian protesters staging a sit-down protest, to go home peacefully. "Go home, otherwise we will be obliged to use force," a KFOR representative said in Serbian to the protesters. The NATO move came after talks with Serb leaders in northern Kosovo on Wednesday proved futile. Serbs...
The United States has held a meeting with representatives of the Haqqani militant network, the US Secretary of State, Hiliary Clinton revealed on Friday, during current talks in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Speaking to journalists in Pakistan, Clinton said, "We believe that there is now an opportunity for us to begin talking, but there is no guarantee that the talking will result in anything that will move us toward a peaceful resolution." "We are going to continue fighting where necessary to protect our interests, and so are the Pakistani military because you cannot allow terrorists to gain...
Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh has pledged to step down after months of political unrest on the country, but only if the EU, US and Gulf nations provide him with guarantees. After almost nine months of anti-regime protests which has left over 800 people dead, Saleh has agreed to sign a deal proposed by the Gulf Cooperation Council, but wanted guarantees, which are thought to include immunity from prosecution. The US responded to the statement with State Department spokesman Mark Toner telling reporters, "We don't believe any further guarantees are necessary." UN Secretary-General Ban Ki...
The speaker of the Guam Legislature has called on the UN to dispatch a special mission to help the native Chamorros gain self-determination. In her speech Dr Judih Won Pat accused the US of Genocide and as the perpetrators of ‘the tyranny of colonisation’. "For the past 50 years the Chamoru people, and other inhabitants of Guam, continue to bear witness to economic exploitation and political oppression by the incumbent administering power," she said. Won Pat also said for about 500 years, "the Chamoru people endured ethnic and cultural genocide, forced labor, religious, and political...
Muammar Gaddafi was killed on Thursday during an attack by NTC fighters on Gaddafi's home town of Sirte. Acting Prime Minister, Mahmoud Jibril, announced the death and confirmed that Gaddafi had been caught alive, but stated he had died of bullet wounds on route to hospital. Video footage of his last moments have been broadcast across the world. Leaders across the world have welcomed his demise as the beginning of a 'free Libya'. Extracts from statements by leaders have been reproduced below. See statements in full here . US President Barack Obama "For four decades, the Gaddafi regime ruled...
The United States State Department has said that they will await the results of an inquiry into human rights abuses in Bahrain, before proceeding with a $53 million arms deal. The move comes as the US deal has come under increased scrutiny from human rights groups and US lawmakers, who opposed the sale. After intense international pressure Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa commissioned an inquiry into human rights abuses in the country, as protests that erupted eight months ago sparked a brutal crackdown by the ruling regime. In a letter to Congress, Assistant Secretary of State for...
Kurdish rebels have killed at least 24 Turkish soldiers in eight simultaneous attacks Wednesday, marking one of the deadliest days for the army in the 27-year battle against the separatists. Turkey hit back with cross-border air strikes on rebel bases and sent troops into neighbouring Iraq as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan cancelled a foreign trip and called an emergency meeting of top security officials. The attacks by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) occurred in Cukurca and Yuksekova in Hakkari province near the Iraqi border in the early hours of Wednesday. The United States and...
Indonesian soldiers and police have attacked the Third Papuan People’s Congress, held in Padanbulan, Jayapura. Thousands of Papuans from more than 250 tribes gathered to elect new leaders and to discuss the rights of Papuans. The banned Papuan flag was raised before Forkorus Yoboisembut was elected president by the tribes. Mr Yoboisembut in his speech declared the independence of the Papuan state from Indonesian rule, prompting the over 5000 strong Indonesian security forces to attack the gathering.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has demanded Malawi explain why it did not arrest Sudanese president, Omar al-Bashir, during his recent visit to the country, warning that it is considering referring the matter to the UN Security Council. The ICC reports that Malawi, an ICC member state, was reminded of its obligation to arrest Bashir on 13th October, however is yet to repond. The ICC issued an arrest warrant on Bashir in 2008, for charges of war crimes and genocide in Darfur. He is believed to be responsible for over 300,000 deaths since 2003. Malawi has been instructed to submit a...
In a letter to Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, French President Nicolas Sarkozy restated France’s strong commitment to ensure that the killings of over 1.5 million Armenians in 1915 by Turkey will be recognised as Genocide. The letter, released from the President’s press office, comes after Sarkozy visited Armenia and warned that unless Turkey did so, then he would “have to go further”. Thanking his Armenian counterpart for the hospitality during the visit to the country earlier this month, Sarkozy said , “Rest assured that France will not stop its commitment, since the massacres have not...